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Important information for waste transporters and the waste industry

* Cover your load *
* Transport waste to a lawful place *
* Don't risk hefty fines or prosecution *

The following is important information for waste transporters about how to:

• transport waste safely and legally
• help protect the environment and ensure the safety of other road users
• avoid fines.

What is waste?

Waste is not just rubbish and unwanted material, but also includes:

• excavated material such as dirt, sandstone and soil
• construction, building and demolition waste, such as asphalt, bricks, concrete, plasterboard, timber and vegetation 
• asbestos and contaminated soil.

Cover your load

Clause 49(c) of the Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation 2005 requires waste transported by a vehicle to be covered during its transportation.

• Uncovered loads of waste can spill onto the road and create dust and litter.
• Dust, soil and litter that escape from uncovered vehicles can wash into stormwater drains and pollute waterways.

Ensure waste transported by a vehicle is covered or risk a $500 fine.

Transport waste safely

• Heavy objects, such as bricks, rocks and concrete from vehicles that are uncovered, can dislodge and cause an accident or damage other vehicles on the road.
• Uncovered loads of waste can generate dust that causes breathing and vision problems for other road users such as cyclists, motorbike riders and pedestrians.

If waste is illegally dumped and harms the environment, the maximum penalty is $5 million or 7 years' jail.

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Transport waste to a lawful place

Section 143 of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 requires waste to be transported to a place that can lawfully accept it.

The owner of the waste and the transporter are each guilty of an offence when waste is transported to a place that cannot lawfully be used as a waste facility.

Uncovered waste loads impact directly on other road users and the environment. Illegally dumped waste also harms the environment: only transport waste to a lawful place.

Avoiding fines and penalties

• Know what types of waste are carried on your vehicle.
• Check the council development consent and environment protection licence for the waste facility to make sure it can lawfully accept the waste.
• Provide the waste facility with details of the waste (classification, origin and quantity)
• Ensure any vehicle used for the transport of waste is constructed and maintained to prevent spillage of waste.
• Check the containers used to transport waste are secured safely on the vehicle.
• Ensure that any waste that is transported by a vehicle is covered during its journey (unless the waste consists solely of tyres and/or scrap metal).
• Keep accurate written records such as -
• details of the waste (classification, name and address of its origin and quantity)
• copies of waste dockets/receipts for the waste facility (date, time of delivery, name and address of the facility, its ABN, contact person).

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